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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. shower — rain
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. degree — temperature
  11. net — in sport
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. net — after costs

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