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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 116 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. season — in sport
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — army training
  24. bear — to put up with

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