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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ground — a position
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — thin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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