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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a match
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rest — a break

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