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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — to rob
  8. file — a tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. capital — a city
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. capital — money

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