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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — a horse colour

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