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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — magic
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — army training
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

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