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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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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: leaves · court · chair · mouse · dip · bound · mug · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — of law
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mouse — the animal

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