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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — to come down
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — a position
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — ground
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. land — a country
  22. bound — certain
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — decided

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