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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cap — a lid
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — thin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bass — low music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — a horse colour

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