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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — to crush
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — certain
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — to handle
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — the sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — a price
  24. drill — a practice

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