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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. last — finally
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — the most important part

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