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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. lean — thin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — a box
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to bend
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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