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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. clip — a video
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — to play on
  20. clip — for paper
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — music

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