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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 116 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: lean · kid · track · fine · spring · perch · wound · row

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — the season
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — a coil
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spring — of water
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wound — an injury
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — thin
  23. kid — child
  24. perch — for a bird

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