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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — thin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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