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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — a hole
  4. object — a thing
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lean — to bend
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a match
  12. tear — from crying
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — to rip
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — steady
  24. object — to protest

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