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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — certain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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