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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mark — a grade
  4. land — a country
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. land — to come down
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a document
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — obliged

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