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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — a phone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — to go on
  11. bass — low music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — finally
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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