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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. present — there
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — to go on
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rest — a break
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — shares
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stock — goods
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — thin
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — a price
  23. last — final
  24. charge — electricity

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