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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — rain
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — a partner
  8. suit — to fit
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — certain
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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