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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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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: nail · pit · last · lean · wind · bear · dip · can

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — to go on
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pit — a hole

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