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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — a break
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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