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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — shares
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lean — to bend
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stock — goods
  22. club — a group
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — a leader

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