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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. row — to paddle
  19. toast — bread
  20. deal — to handle
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — thin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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