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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — employees
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — to sink
  10. staff — a stick
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — rain
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — a price
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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