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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — to come down
  3. bound — obliged
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — in sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. cold — an illness
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. vault — a safe

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