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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — thin
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — a country
  8. last — final
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — finally
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — to go on
  14. land — to come down
  15. fork — in a road
  16. land — ground
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bowl — a dish

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