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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — obliged
  5. season — of the year
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spell — magic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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