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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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