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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — to confront
  9. cold — an illness
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — part of the body

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