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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. face — to point toward
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — in a race
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a signal
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. scale — in music

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