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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — obliged
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — thin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bound — certain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — a country
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to bend
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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