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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. roll — a list
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — in sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — a cake
  24. season — to add flavour

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