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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. firm — a company

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