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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lean — thin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. lean — to bend
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — to get on
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a committee

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