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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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