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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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