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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. race — humankind
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — a series
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — help
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bound — certain
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. clip — a video
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — tied together
  22. race — a contest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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