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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. branch — a division

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