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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — a container
  3. mine — for digging
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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