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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — government
  19. lean — to bend
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — a law

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