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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a ring
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a music group
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — to go on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. capital — a city
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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