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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — help

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