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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — to come down
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — ground
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — a country
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — a box
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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