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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tear — from crying

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