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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in biology
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cell — a phone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spring — of water
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spring — the season

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