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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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