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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — tied together
  6. last — final
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a skill
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — finally
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — to go on

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