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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to click
  6. last — to go on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — final
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — to bear
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lean — thin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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