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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. clip — to cut
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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