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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 120 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 was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — a skill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  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