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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. last — final
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — to crush
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. net — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — to go on
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — finally

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