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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hand — help
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kid — child
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fan — a supporter

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