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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — in sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. scale — in music
  24. suit — in cards

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