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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — there
  17. bound — certain
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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