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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bound — certain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — rain
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — a face
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to confront
  24. mug — a cup

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