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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — low music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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