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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — finally
  7. drill — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — army training
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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