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

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. firm — decided
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. present — the time now
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — a gift
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — with your hand

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