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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — the arms race
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. race — a contest
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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