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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — soda
  24. spring — a coil

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