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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a committee
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — to get on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal

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