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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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