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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. present — a gift
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a cake
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — to hurry

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