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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — obliged
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. dip — to sink

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