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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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spell — magic
  6. degree — from a university
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — certain
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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