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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kid — child
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — a line
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. net — in sport
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — to fit
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — for catching
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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