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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — clothes
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. suit — to fit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. face — part of the head

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