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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a ring
  9. chest — a box
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. vault — a safe
  24. sharp — exactly

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