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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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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 · bat · lean · lie · bound · jam · root · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — of a word
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bat — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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