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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — certain
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a path
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — thin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a tree

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