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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — to tease
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — child
  14. lie — to recline
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. key — the most important part

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