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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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. fall — to drop
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tube — a container
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — the underground
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — in football
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wound — an injury

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