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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. capital — money
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — finally
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fall — the season
  23. fork — in a road
  24. capital — a city

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