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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — thin

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