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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — of ice
  6. staff — employees
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — letters
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rest — a break

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