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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — a gift
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cell — in biology
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. drill — army training
  12. cell — a phone
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — there
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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