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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: firm · can · cold · kid · land · row · lean · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — thin
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. land — a country
  7. cold — not warm
  8. roll — a cake
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. land — ground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. roll — a list
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. firm — decided
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — to bend
  24. firm — a company

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