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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — a practice
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — army training
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — an amount
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rock — to move gently

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