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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — crushed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — a price
  19. cap — a lid
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ground — a position
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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