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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rule — government
  16. tear — to rip
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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