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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — for catching
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tear — to rip
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ball — a great time

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