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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. bound — certain
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — the fish
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. charge — a price
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — obliged

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