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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — the season
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — to rip
  24. can — a tin

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