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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — to handle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. roll — a list
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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