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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rest — a break
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — in football
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — a song
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kick — with a leg

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