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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — tied together
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — happening now

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