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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — certain
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bound — obliged

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