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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pop — soda
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of a king
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — for sport
  14. pop — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lean — to bend
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. court — of law
  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