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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. foot — part of the body

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