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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — help
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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