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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — a coil
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to click
  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