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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. club — for dancing
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ground — the earth
  19. club — a group
  20. court — for sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. deal — an agreement

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