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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mouse — the animal
  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