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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — to protest
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — a stone
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — an aim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — obliged

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