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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a trace

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