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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. capital — money
  6. season — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — of the year
  15. lean — thin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — obliged

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