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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bound — tied together
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — a phone

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