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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — a price
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — there
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — the time now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — a path
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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