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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — thin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. band — a ring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a music group
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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