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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — crushed
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. object — a thing
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — thin
  23. object — to protest
  24. squash — the sport

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