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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a match
  11. track — a path
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — a song
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — to keep track

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