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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kid — child
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — to wash
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. charge — a price
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — to go away

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