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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. snap — to click
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. fall — to drop

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