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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to click
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — to cool the air

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