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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cue — for pool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — rain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. suit — clothes
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a hint
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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