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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ground — a position
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bank — for money
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — to rip
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — certain
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lean — to bend

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