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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — the earth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. ground — crushed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. row — a line
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — a group
  23. row — to paddle
  24. temple — side of the head

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