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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — in music

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