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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — thin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — of a river
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — of a king
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — to rest against

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