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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lean — to bend
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — for betting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kid — child

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