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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — the fish

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