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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.

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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: spell · bear · row · rule · lean · bat · safe · kick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — a line
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spell — letters
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rule — a law
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rule — government
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — magic
  24. safe — out of danger

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