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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — tied together
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — magic
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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