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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tear — to rip
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a list
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a hole

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