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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — to cut
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. staff — employees
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. clip — for paper
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to sink

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