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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — thin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — boats
  9. lean — to bend
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — newspapers
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — to push
  19. rash — a series
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. roll — on a roll

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