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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — happening now

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