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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hand — help
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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