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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: saw · arm · fan · tear · lean · coach · pitch · ground

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — thin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — to bend
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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