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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — final
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cue — a signal

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