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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. date — the fruit
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. prune — to trim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — thin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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