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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lean — thin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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