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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — an amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. saw — the tool

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