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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — a position

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