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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — humankind
  4. rest — a break
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — letters
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. race — a contest

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