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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rush — hurry
  6. net — in sport
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — for catching
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — a thrill
  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