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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a document
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ground — a position

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