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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lean — to bend
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bound — obliged
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — animal skin

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