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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. club — for dancing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tear — to rip
  10. club — a group
  11. lean — thin
  12. club — for golf
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — of the leg

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