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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — in music

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