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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stock — shares
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — goods
  23. spell — letters
  24. mouse — the animal

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