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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cue — for pool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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