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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kick — in football

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