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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. leaves — of a tree
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — to keep track
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — a group
  11. bass — the fish
  12. track — a path
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a song
  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