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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hide — to keep secret

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