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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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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 · row · fork · bay · pop · ruler · coach · snap

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to click
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. coach — a trainer

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