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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — to move gently

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