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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — hurry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to click
  24. bank — for money

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