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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. club — for golf
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a line
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. race — the arms race
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — there
  23. row — to paddle
  24. prune — to trim

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