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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — a break
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — a tin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chest — a box
  16. can — to be able to
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chest — of your body

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