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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — to paddle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — thin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — rain
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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