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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. drill — a practice
  23. capital — money
  24. drill — the tool

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