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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. march — the month
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bound — obliged
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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