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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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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — a position
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — a thing
  11. present — there
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mug — to rob

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