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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. object — to protest
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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