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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — in football
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — in a computer

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