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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — thin
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — to be able to
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — to sink
  21. firm — a company
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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