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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — there
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — rain
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — a gift
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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