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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — to lash out

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