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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a city

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