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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — for catching
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lean — thin
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. squash — the sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — a skill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — the underground

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