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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 124 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — of water
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — a song
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — tied together
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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