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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bear — the animal

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