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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lean — thin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — to shout
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — a line
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. deal — a big deal

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