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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 116 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 one o'clock ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to click
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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