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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — rain
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. object — a thing
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — thin
  20. object — to protest
  21. tube — a container
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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