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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — child
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. board — to get on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — thin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — an aim
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. object — to protest

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