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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — final
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — an aim
  8. lean — to bend
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — finally
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. object — to protest
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — to succeed

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