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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — a box

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