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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitch — completely
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. snap — to click

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