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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — there
  7. court — of law
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — of a king
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. court — for sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — the time now

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