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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — obliged
  4. net — after costs
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — to recline
  17. object — to protest
  18. degree — an amount
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — tied together

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