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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · lean · leaves · bass · rush · row · saw · mine

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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