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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 116 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. degree — temperature

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