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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lean — thin
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spring — the season
  24. fan — to cool the air

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