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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — a thing
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ground — a position
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — to protest
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — an aim

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