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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — soda
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. toast — bread
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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