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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fine — all right
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. race — a contest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — certain
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — bread
  24. fork — in a road

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