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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a car

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