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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — a subject
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — the season
  10. field — farmland
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — a break
  15. present — a gift
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. present — there
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — in sport

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