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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a word
  19. rock — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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