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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to click
  15. face — to confront
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — size or range
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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