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

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — bread
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fine — a penalty

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