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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — certain
  3. spell — magic
  4. pop — soda
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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