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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: firm · racket · craft · bound · wound · temple · ground · wind

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — boats

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