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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — tied together
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. staff — a stick
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. drill — army training

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