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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. track — a path
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — boats
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — the arms race
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — a country
  19. craft — a skill
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. race — a contest
  24. land — to come down

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