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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. last — finally
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — of the year

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