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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. face — to point toward
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. squash — to crush
  23. game — a match
  24. face — to confront

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