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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — the season
  12. snap — to click
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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