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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wind — moving air
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — high quality

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