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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mug — a face
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail

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