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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · chair · wave · jam · bound · saw · present · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bound — obliged
  20. present — there
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — to sit on

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