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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bound — tied together
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lean — thin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wake — a trail
  19. sharp — clever
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — obliged

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