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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — certain
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — on a finger

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