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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — a song
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — a path
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — to keep track
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. land — a country
  23. mark — a trace
  24. straw — a straw man

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