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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — a thing
  5. ground — the earth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — the most important part
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — to protest

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