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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — finally
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — to bend
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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