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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mark — a trace
  3. snap — to click
  4. cell — a phone
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — clever
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a grade
  24. jam — in traffic

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