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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. suit — clothes
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. row — a line
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — thin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. land — to come down
  19. prune — to trim
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kick — in football

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