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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. current — happening now
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — steady
  24. current — electric

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