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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — a break
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — thin

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