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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cell — a phone
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cell — in biology

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