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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. march — music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — a stick
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — in music

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