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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. bound — certain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. race — humankind
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — to eat
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink

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