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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — to protest
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — obliged
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — an aim
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — the season
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a skill
  20. net — for catching
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. craft — a handicraft

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