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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — after costs
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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