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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — to go on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. last — final
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. march — the month
  22. kid — to tease
  23. last — finally
  24. march — the month

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