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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to bend
  4. object — to protest
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — an aim
  16. land — ground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — thin
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — a thing
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a word

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