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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — a break
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — part of the body

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