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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bound — certain
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — rain
  8. land — ground
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — tied together

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