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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. charge — in control
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — thin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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