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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. row — a line
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. row — to paddle
  8. craft — boats
  9. roll — a cake
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — to come down
  18. lean — thin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — a skill
  23. roll — a list
  24. chip — to eat

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