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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: row · lie · roll · bat · craft · safe · bark · lean

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. roll — a list
  17. craft — a skill
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — thin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bat — in an idiom

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