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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — finally
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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