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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — with a leg

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