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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — a signal
  4. charge — in control
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — a price
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — in football
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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