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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rash — hasty
  6. net — for catching
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — steady
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — after costs
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. firm — decided
  19. tear — to rip
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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