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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rule — a law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — government

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