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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — to be able to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — a container

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