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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bound — obliged
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. toast — bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lean — thin

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