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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. present — there
  3. game — a match
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — a gift
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — the time now
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chest — a box

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