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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stock — goods
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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