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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mate — to breed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mate — a friend
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. fine — high quality

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