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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · fine · pop · squash · arm · ground · bowl · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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 — thin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lean — to bend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. arm — a part of something
  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