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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 was ________________ to happen.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. key — in music
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — farmland
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — a subject
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — of water
  24. wake — before a funeral

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