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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — in music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — for weighing

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