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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — an aim
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — a thing
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bass — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a match
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. object — to protest

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