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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — government
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — a law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — thin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — a thrill

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