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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mine — for digging
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — the bottom

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