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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — in biology
  13. dip — to sink
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. file — a document
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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