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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — for golf
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — a group
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. band — a music group
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a ring
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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