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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  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