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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. field — farmland
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lean — thin
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — what's left

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