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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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