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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mug — to rob
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. game — a match
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — thin
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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