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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — a group
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — to come down
  14. pop — music
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to click
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. firm — decided
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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