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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — the fish
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — to bend
  24. 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