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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — magic
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. charge — in control
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — letters
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. charge — a price
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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