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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — obliged
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — government
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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