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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bound — certain
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. jam — in traffic

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