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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: toast · lean · degree · wound · can · saw · fall · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. degree — an amount
  15. firm — a company
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — steady
  20. toast — bread
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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