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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. can — to be able to
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — to bend
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  24. rash — a series

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