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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. current — of water
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. shower — rain
  13. suit — to fit
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bank — of a river
  19. current — electric
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — for money

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