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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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