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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chest — a box
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. tube — a container
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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