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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — to bend
  14. prune — to trim
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — a list
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spring — of water

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