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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. field — a subject
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — a company
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — for sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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