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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — to bend

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