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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 120 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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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 · bear · pound · lean · wave · stem · scale · pass

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. scale — in music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pass — to succeed

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