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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. perch — the fish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — part of the head

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