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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to click

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