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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — decided
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — after costs
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — for catching
  18. ruler — a monarch

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