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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — moving air
  3. shower — rain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. key — the most important part
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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