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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bound — obliged
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. row — a line
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — bread
  13. bound — tied together
  14. staff — employees
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. row — to paddle
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. jam — in traffic

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