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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. field — a subject
  11. present — there
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — the time now
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — a gift
  20. face — to point toward
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — hurry

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