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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fall — the season
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for golf
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — money

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