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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — a break
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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