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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — a break
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. snap — to click
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — there
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rock — music

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