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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pop — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — to recline
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — in football
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — soda

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