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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rock — a stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — final
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kid — child
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — decided
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — music
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. firm — a company
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — obliged

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