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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. last — final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — finally
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spring — of water
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — to go on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — of a plant

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