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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — a subject
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a signal
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — of the year
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — all right
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. race — humankind
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — to move gently

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