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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — thin
  4. snap — to click
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for dancing
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — a country
  21. rule — government
  22. club — a group
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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