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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rock — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — on the skin

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