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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — tied together
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — certain
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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