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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — for digging
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bound — obliged
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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