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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a skill
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — boats
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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