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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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