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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bass — the fish
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — for a computer

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