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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. clip — a video
  8. bound — tied together
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. clip — to cut
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — to come down
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — a country

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