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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — a line
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — for catching
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spring — a coil
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — a tin

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