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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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