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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — in control
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — thin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

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