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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — a law
  11. object — to protest
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — steady
  19. object — an aim
  20. rule — government
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. spell — letters

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