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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. file — a document
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a line of people
  14. present — the time now
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  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