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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bound — tied together
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — certain
  24. lean — to bend

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