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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tear — to rip
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lean — thin

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