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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — in music
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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