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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. kick — in football
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — certain
  23. land — ground
  24. kick — a thrill

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