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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bound — obliged
  18. degree — from a university

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