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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — happening now
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. cold — an illness
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pit — in a race

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