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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. fine — high quality
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — to get on
  15. hand — help
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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