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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. club — a group
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — magic
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — for golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. sharp — clever
  22. club — for dancing
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pit — a hole

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