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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — an aim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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