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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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