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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a path
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — a weight
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a song
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — thin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — bread
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tear — to rip
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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