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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — a hat
  3. land — ground
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — shares
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — a friend

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