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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bound — certain
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — low music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — letters
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — in an idiom

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