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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — a box
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. sharp — with an edge

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