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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — a box
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. band — a music group
  9. lean — to bend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — of your body
  16. firm — steady
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — decided
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — to bear
  23. firm — a company
  24. chest — of your body

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