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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — crushed
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to rest against

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