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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — tied together

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