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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — a position
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ground — the earth
  12. firm — decided
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — in music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — high quality
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lean — to rest against

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