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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — a weight
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — of water
  21. tube — a container
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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