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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — certain
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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