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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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