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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. land — a country

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