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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — obliged
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — to confront
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stock — goods
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — from a university
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — tied together
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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