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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — to cut
  7. scale — size or range
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to bend
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pop — soda
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — a video
  24. mug — to rob

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