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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — boats
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — a song
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. can — to be able to
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com