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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — certain
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — all right
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — 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