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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rule — government
  3. march — music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — army training
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — a trainer

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