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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lean — thin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tear — to rip
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. board — to get on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tear — from crying

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