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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — farmland
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rush — hurry
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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