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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rock — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — a match
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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