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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. object — a thing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — rain
  17. lean — thin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a word
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — an aim

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