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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — thin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — certain
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — decided
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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