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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — to confront
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — for baseball

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