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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fall — to drop
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — a football final

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