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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — happy
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — the amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — of the sea

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