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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — a division
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — out of danger

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