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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — to rip
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — thin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — a loud noise

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