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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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Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — bread
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. toast — the most admired

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