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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mug · nail · cell · leaves · fine · lean · track · wind

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — thin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to bend
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — to rob

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