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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stock — goods

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