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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — a break
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spell — magic
  8. club — a group
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. firm — a company
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — thin
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — a short time
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — steady
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — decided

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