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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — to crush
  6. snap — to click
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — high quality
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — what's left

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