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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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