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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — humankind
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — a contest
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — the sport

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