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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kid — child
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — in music
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — the most important part
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — a friend
  24. charge — electricity

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