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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — to protest
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — an aim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — music
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. file — a document
  23. band — a music group
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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