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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. staff — a stick
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — thin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. file — a tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — clever
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — a match

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