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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — a song
  9. drill — a practice
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — to keep track
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — thin
  21. stock — goods
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — army training

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