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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lean — thin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. squash — to crush
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — the sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. face — to point toward
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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