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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. last — to go on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — obliged
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — a stone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rock — to move gently

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