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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — thin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — a container
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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