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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bass — the instrument

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