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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lean — to bend
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — a song
  24. board — a committee

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