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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — obliged
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. arm — part of the body

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