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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. present — the time now
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. race — the arms race
  6. present — a gift
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — there
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. race — a contest
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. race — humankind
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a ring
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — the tool

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