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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — certain
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — obliged
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. leaves — to go away

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