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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ground — the earth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ground — crushed

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