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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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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. rock — music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chair — a professorship

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