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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lean — to bend
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lean — thin
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — a law
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a music group

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