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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — the time now

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