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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kid — child
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — finally
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. toast — bread
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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