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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — a position
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a round shape

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