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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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. suit — in cards
  4. spring — a coil
  5. kick — in football
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — the season
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — a match
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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