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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bound — certain
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. land — a country

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