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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pop — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mug — a face

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