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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: rest · mouse · lean · spring · date · tear · rush · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — a line
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — the season
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tear — to rip
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lean — to bend

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