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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of a tree

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