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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pop — soda
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fall — the season
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rash — a series
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — to drop

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