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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tear — to rip
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. firm — steady

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