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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bowl — a football final

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