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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. land — to come down
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — the month
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — a company
  11. ground — the earth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. land — a country
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — to crush
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — a position
  22. march — music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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