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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — an aim
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — the earth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. scale — size or range

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