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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. present — there
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — the time now
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — a division
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — a gift

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