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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — thin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — a tin
  24. bowl — to roll

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