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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lean — thin
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — shares
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. snap — to click
  21. stock — goods
  22. roll — a list
  23. fine — all right
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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