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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rest — a break
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — certain
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pop — to visit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — soda
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. land — ground
  24. season — to add flavour

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