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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: stick · wound · last · pit · mug · ruler · object · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. object — a thing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — an aim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. object — to protest
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a hole

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