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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: land · leaves · row · jam · tear · key · lean · rush

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. key — in music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — hurry
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — to come down
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a line
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. land — a country

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