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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — music

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