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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — an illness
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. track — a path
  7. band — a music group
  8. cold — not warm
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bound — tied together
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — a face
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — certain

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