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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — to rip
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — a price
  22. fine — all right
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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