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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — certain
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — thin
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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