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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bay — a horse colour

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