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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bound — certain
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. present — there
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — the time now
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rest — a break
  23. present — a gift
  24. cell — a phone

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