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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ground — a position
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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