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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — certain
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — for sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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