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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. drill — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — a trace
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wound — an injury

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