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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. present — a gift
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. present — the time now
  8. chip — to eat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — a series
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — there
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — a trail

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