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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — for a computer

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