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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · stick · hide · object · rule · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — a thing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — thin
  18. rule — a law

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