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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a music group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bound — certain
  11. band — a ring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lie — an untruth

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