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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. land — to come down
  4. race — a contest
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — obliged
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — ground
  16. race — humankind
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — government
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — an eyelash

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