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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. race — a contest
  7. key — the most important part
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — in music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. race — the arms race
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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