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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. land — ground
  14. lean — to bend
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. suit — in cards
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ruler — a monarch

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