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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — hasty
  6. last — final
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — certain
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. last — to go on
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  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