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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 an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — in music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — a series
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — for spectators

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