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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — all right
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — in music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — to bend

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