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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spell — magic
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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