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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a document
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mug — to rob
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a face
  24. nail — for a hammer

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