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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. scale — size or range
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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