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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — boats
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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