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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — steady
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lean — thin
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — size or range
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. drill — army training
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. object — a thing
  18. firm — a company
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. swing — music

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