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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — the season
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — a line

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