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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — to bend
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — the animal

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