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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: row · bear · mate · club · rule · lean · rest · toast

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — bread
  6. rule — government
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — for golf
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — thin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — a partner
  24. club — a group

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