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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · stick · mine · charge · perch · nail · wound · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — tied together
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bound — obliged
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — the fish
  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