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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 · content · lie · mark · mate · row · wave · bowl

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — a line
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. row — to paddle
  18. content — the amount
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — happy

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