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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — there
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pit — a hole
  24. tube — in a tire

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