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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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