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

Word bank: rule · cap · pop · ground · lean · stand · rash · key

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — government
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — a series
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pop — to visit
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — soda

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