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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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