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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — rain
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — to protest

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