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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. roll — a list
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — certain
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — to lash out

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