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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — rain
  13. chest — a box
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fine — high quality
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chest — of your body

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