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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — to sink
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — decided
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a tool
  24. toast — bread

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