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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mark — a grade

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