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

Word bank: leaves · snap · ground · stand · fall · fine · lean · pass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ground — a position
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lean — thin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — a permit
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — the earth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to spend time

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