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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — obliged
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — of water
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — certain
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — to handle

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