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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — decided
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — a friend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — steady
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — a company

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