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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — a country
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — in a road
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — in cards
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — part of the body

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