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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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. race — humankind
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — a contest
  20. pass — a permit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. swing — music

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