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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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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: stick · deal · pass · row · bound · nail · content · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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. row — to paddle
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. content — happy
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pass — a permit

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