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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — all right
  10. last — to go on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. last — final
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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