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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — in sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. kid — to tease
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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