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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. bound — obliged
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. content — the amount
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lean — to bend
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. swing — to play on
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — a contest
  24. bear — to put up with

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