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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cell — in biology
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — certain
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — electric

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