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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 120 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — of water
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — certain
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ground — a position

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