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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — to cut
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rest — a break
  12. tube — the underground
  13. clip — a video
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — a container

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