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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to click
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. season — of the year

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