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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — a measure
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pass — to spend time

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