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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. field — farmland
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. field — a subject
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cap — a lid

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