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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — after costs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. net — in sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — in geometry

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