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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. file — a tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — in control
  14. fine — high quality
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. file — a document
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fine — a penalty

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