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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
468
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: mark · row · hand · jam · fork · lean · bass · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — thin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — a line
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. row — to paddle
  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