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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — in sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — government
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — to play on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — a tool
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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