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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. band — a music group
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — for sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kid — child
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lean — thin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — a measure
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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