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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — to come down
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — ground
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — high quality

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