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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bound — certain
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lean — thin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — a box
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — to eat with

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