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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — in football
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — in music

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