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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 120 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 · bound · kid · bore · ball · charge · sharp · ground

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — the earth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — to tease
  16. charge — in control
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — a position
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — child
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — with an edge

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