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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a ring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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