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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a line
  9. bound — tied together
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to point toward
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — of the sea

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