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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. degree — an amount
  8. object — a thing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kick — in football
  18. swing — to play on
  19. object — an aim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — thin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — to protest

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