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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — the time now
  3. roll — a list
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — ground
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — in football
  19. lean — thin
  20. present — there
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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