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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — thin
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — a penalty

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