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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. current — happening now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — clever
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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