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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — government
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rock — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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