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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a document
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — a grade

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