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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the sport

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