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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.

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: row · bark · ball · fork · rush · lean · bass · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. row — a line
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a dance
  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