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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — for sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — a group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. field — a subject
  16. club — for golf
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — a break
  24. rash — a series

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