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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — a face
  4. suit — to fit
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cell — a phone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. suit — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cell — in biology
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — certain
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — an injury
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. shower — rain

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