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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. fine — a penalty
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a ring
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fine — all right
  18. branch — a division
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. foot — a measure

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