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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — to visit
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pop — soda

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