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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — to keep secret

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