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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bound — obliged
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. degree — an amount
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — tied together
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — certain

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