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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kid — child
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — a signal

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