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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — to come down
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — ground
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — a thing
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. object — to protest
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — a supporter

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