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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. file — a document
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. shower — rain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — there

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