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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · net · foot · tear · sharp · mouse · bound · cabinet

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. tear — from crying
  22. net — after costs
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bear — the animal

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