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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — thin
  7. clip — a video
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chair — a leader
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — all right
  15. clip — to cut
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wind — moving air

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