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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — an aim
  7. band — a music group
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — thin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to bend
  20. band — a ring
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lie — an untruth

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