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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. file — a document

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