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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. last — final
  3. lean — thin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — clever
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — to go on
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — a grade
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — a stick

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