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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. firm — a company
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bound — certain
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — decided

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