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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mine — for digging
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. suit — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a face
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bat — in an idiom

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