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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — thin
  9. shower — rain
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — decided
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — to wash
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rule — government
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — a company
  21. net — for catching
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — music

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