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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spring — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — the season
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — thin
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bound — obliged
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

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