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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — to drop
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. drill — army training

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