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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pit — in a race
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — humankind
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spring — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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