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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — a thing
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — in control
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — a price
  24. mouse — the animal

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