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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. snap — to click
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a ring

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