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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · cap · lean · mug · dip · wind

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mug — a face
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cap — of ice
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mug — to rob
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — to dunk

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