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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rest — a break
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — the fruit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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