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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. last — finally
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — the earth
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — crushed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lean — thin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to bend
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rest — a break

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