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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. season — in sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — for paper
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. season — of the year
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wind — moving air

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