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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — all right
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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