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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. firm — decided
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — a company
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — steady
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — the season
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — a committee

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