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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — certain
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a match
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — of the year
  14. lean — thin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — to bend
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — the amount

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