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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — certain
  23. chair — a leader
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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