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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — a box
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — to crush
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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