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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. object — a thing
  6. cap — a hat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — a hint
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — of ice
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — a cake
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a list
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — rain
  24. cap — a lid

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