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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bound — certain
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — a gift
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — rain
  13. current — electric
  14. present — the time now
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — there
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — happening now
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pound — a weight

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