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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — certain
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — the earth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — a position
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — tied together
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — crushed

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