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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — boats
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a handicraft

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