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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — clothes
  6. present — there
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — to fit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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