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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.

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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: fine · wound · wake · spell · safe · bound · march · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spell — a short time
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — music

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