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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — thin
  7. content — the amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. dip — to sink
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lean — to bend
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — tied together
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — videos and posts

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