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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — to come from
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ball — a dance
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — army training
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to click
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lean — thin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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