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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — certain
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — rain
  6. content — the amount
  7. board — a committee
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — low music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. content — happy
  17. board — to get on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bass — the fish
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — to hurry

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