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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to bend
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — to rest against

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