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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ground — a position
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — a break
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fan — to cool the air

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