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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — government
  24. plane — an aircraft

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