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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bound — certain
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bound — tied together
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — thin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — part of the body

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