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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — all right
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — a trace

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