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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rule — to rule out

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