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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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. face — to confront
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. track — a path
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. face — part of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. chest — a box
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — for catching
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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