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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — shares
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. last — final
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — a group
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — to recline

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