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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. court — of a king
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. board — a committee
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — a flat piece

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