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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — government
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — the underground

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