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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cap — a hat
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — a path
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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