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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — steady
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. degree — temperature
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bound — certain
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — to paddle

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