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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in biology
  9. key — in music
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. object — a thing
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cell — a phone
  24. key — for a lock

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