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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rule — a law

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