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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mine — belonging to me

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