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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — a list
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cap — a lid
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — a stone

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