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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — thin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — a division
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — a company
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — in music
  21. field — for sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bound — certain

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