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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — rain
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. foot — a measure
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lean — thin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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