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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rule — a law
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — a break
  17. rule — government
  18. lean — to rest against

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