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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kid — child
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — high quality
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. row — a quarrel

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