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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lean — to bend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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