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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rest — a break
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — obliged
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — tied together

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