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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bound — certain
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — to handle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. present — the time now
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — an agreement
  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