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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lean — thin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — a group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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