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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — there
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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