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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. sharp — exactly

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