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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. clip — to cut
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. clip — for paper

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