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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — to go on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — final

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