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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — thin
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — after costs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — tied together
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rule — a law

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