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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a path
  23. bound — certain
  24. coach — a trainer

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