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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. kid — to tease

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