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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 · lean · temple · squash · saw · game · staff · stock

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — shares
  10. staff — a stick
  11. row — a line
  12. lean — to bend
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stock — a soup base

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