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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rule — a law
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to rest against

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