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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — certain
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — a position
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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