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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — a line
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — letters
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — the animal

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