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

Word bank: lean · ruler · present · chest · stick · foot

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. present — there
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — a box
  18. ruler — a monarch

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