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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · mine · saw · face · deal · bound · kid · content

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — happy
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kid — child
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — a big deal

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