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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chest — of your body
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — electric
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lean — to bend
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — thin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — certain
  19. chest — a box
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spell — magic
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — to rest against

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