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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. key — for a lock
  3. object — an aim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to confront
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lean — thin
  23. clip — a video
  24. hide — to keep secret

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