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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — help
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mug — a face
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a cup
  11. race — a contest
  12. stem — to come from
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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