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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — a country
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — tied together
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — electricity

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