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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — help
  6. mug — a cup
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. roll — a list
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — a break
  18. mug — to rob
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — humankind
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — thin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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