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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — certain
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — tied together

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