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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — there
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — a cake
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. roll — a list
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — the time now
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — a gift
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. foot — the bottom

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