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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. pop — to visit
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. content — the amount
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. march — music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — a trail

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