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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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