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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — from a university
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — the tool

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