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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — a container
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to bend

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