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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — magic
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — a match
  24. spell — a short time

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