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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — to cut
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. clip — for paper
  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