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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spring — of water
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mark — to pay attention

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