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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pound — a weight
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — farmland
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — a young animal

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