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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — a phone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — magic
  9. cell — in biology
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — a short time

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